- Fawside Castle from MacGibbon & Ross, looking much as it did when the restoration started
- Fawside Castle, restored between 1976 and 1982
The restoration of castles and tower houses in Scotland, generally by private individuals and families, has been taking place for over a century [2] [ verification needed ] and is of major significance in the field of historic buildings in the country, sometimes a subject of controversy. [3]
Since the 1950s, two hundred and fifty Scottish castles and tower houses have been restored, around a hundred from a derelict or "roofless ruin" state. [4] Most of these have been converted for private occupation; others, such as Castle Menzies, have become tourist attractions. The former have tended to be of the tower house type, which are a manageable size to convert and live in. A further 150 castles that are still roofed have undergone refurbishment.
The buildings involved in restoration projects in Scotland vary from partially collapsed, roofless, stone ruins to continuously-occupied residences in serious need of repair. Many have required extensive rebuilding, especially at the upper levels of the building, but also of internal walls and vaults. A 2011 study found that between 1945 and 2010 ninety-seven castles were "reoccupied from a (near) ruinous state". [4]
In addition, around a further 150 castles and tower houses still in a roofed condition have been upgraded. The work required may constitute a refurbishment – that is, the upgrading and installation of services without material alteration to the structure [4] or major changes to the interior and/or exterior of the building. An example is Cassillis House in Ayrshire which, while not ruinous, was extensively restored in the 2010s. [5]
Conservation and restoration projects on castles have been carried out by private individuals and companies as well as by bodies such as Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). A restoration of the Great Hall of Stirling Castle was completed by Historic Scotland (one of HES' predecessors) in 1999, [6] but parts of the castle have been restored or rebuilt many times since its original construction, one of the earliest such projects having been undertaken in 1617, when architect James Murray restored the roofs and some of the facilities pending a royal visit. [7]
Other castles have also been conserved by private trusts, as with the restoration of Portencross Castle, work which was largely funded by grants from sources such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Architectural Heritage Fund. [8] The Landmark Trust has restored tower houses such as Fairburn Tower on the Cromarty Firth in north east Scotland. [9]
An example of a typical restoration project is the restoration of Fawside (or Fa'side) Castle near Edinburgh, which was carried out between 1976 and 1982. The work was primarily undertaken to provide a home for the owners. [10] The castle was in a ruinous state, a large part of the building being roofless; many areas of wall heads had fallen away. The project turned out to be far more costly than the owners envisaged. Because of its scale, the owners employed tradesmen to carry out most of the work.
The building was typical of many tower houses, although perhaps larger than average. It consisted of two wings: the original 14th-century keep with massively built walls and a later L-shaped addition from the 15th–16th century. The keep element was still roofed, but the L-shaped part was roofless and wall tops had fallen away, including those of two bartizans (turrets) where only the bases remained. [11]
This restoration required much research in advance, some conjecture in replacing lost features, and many discussions with Historic Scotland, the local authority in Haddingtonshire, fire officers, the architect and other specialists. Applications for grants, totalling over £100,000, were successful. [12]
After rubble, including fallen masonry, had been removed from the interior, the building work began with rebuilding of walls, inserting new floors, roofing the L-shaped part and the addition of services such as plumbing, heating and electrics, etc. Substantial supplies of stone, timber and roof slates had to be sourced and purchased. Finally, the exterior of the building was harled. In the course of these activities, several original features of the building were rediscovered, for example on the second floor of the L-shaped wing a mural chamber with a sunken recess was discovered behind an old cupboard. [13]
An aspect of this restoration was the extensive use of modern materials – bricks and concrete for parts of the structure. The re-instated basement level vault was constructed in concrete. Cross walls and bartizans were rebuilt in brick. The use of such materials has caused discussion in conservation circles. Some projects have avoided modern materials and rebuilt and repaired only in stone. [14]
Not all 'restorations' of castles and tower houses have been successful. Some have failed for reasons such as lack of finance or have simply taken a very long time. [15]
The motivations for restorations have been various, but most common has been the desire to rescue an old building for private domestic owner-occupation. [16]
The process has caused debate, with Historic Scotland and local planning authorities rejecting many restoration projects. In the period from the 1960s to the 1990s, Historic Scotland and its predecessor organisations approved and grant-aided a considerable number of restoration projects, largely under the direction of Professor David Walker, the then Chief Inspector of Monuments. Walker quotes 53 grant aided projects. [17] 'Restorers' have argued that, as well as providing homes they are rescuing buildings that would otherwise have eventually decayed or collapsed. Elements of the 'conservation' lobby argue that ruins should be preserved as found, following Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) principles; other concerns are that inappropriate materials may be used for repairs and rebuilds and that restoration can conceal much of the early history of the building.
The 'conservation' approach became more prominent through the 1990s and beyond. Although HES (formed by a merger of HS and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland) now has a list of buildings suitable for restoration, [18] fewer and fewer castle restoration projects have been undertaken in the 2000s, as can be seen from Inglis' table of completed restorations (op cit, pp 258–260). This has been due to factors such as a lack of availability of suitable sites, a greater realisation of the huge amount of work and costs that may be involved, and greater reluctance on the part of the authorities to endorse and/or grant aid restoration projects.
The best-known example of a rejected restoration project was that off Castle Tioram in Moidart. Tioram gained notoriety as "the epicentre of the restoration controversy" (Davis, op cit, pp 58–60).
In 1997, Lex Brown of Anta Estates Ltd put forward proposals for restoration of the Castle to a habitable status. Historic Scotland refused, and the matter went to a public enquiry, where the Reporter and then Scottish Ministers refused the Appeal in 2002. [19] The matter generated a public debate which seems generally to have been unfavourable to the refusal (Davis, op cit, p 58). In 2016, HES agreed that the Castle could be restored and brought back into residential use. [20]
At Castle Tioram a very large sum was spent on surveying and recording the remains by an archaeological team, but work of this nature on a standing building can be expensive and can discourage restoration (Davis, op cit, 37–39).
A full list of castle restorations up to 2010 is contained in Inglis (op cit). For more details of the restoration processes, the following selected case studies in various books and publications contain more in-depth accounts.
Image | Castle | Location | Date | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aiket | Ayrshire | 1970s | Clow, Brennan-Inglis | |
Aikwood | Selkirkshire | 1980s | Fawcett & Rutherford, Brennan-Inglis | |
Balgonie | Fife | 1970s | Fawcett & Rutherford | |
Barholm | Dumfries & Galloway | 2000s | Brennan-Inglis | |
Caldwell Tower | East Renfrewshire | 2011 | Davis | |
Fawside | East Lothian | 1970s/80s | Clow | |
Fenton Tower | East Lothian | 2000s | Dallas, Ed | |
Liberton Tower | Midlothian | 1990s | Fawcett & Rutherford | |
Mains Castle, South Lanarkshire | East Kilbride | 1970s/80s | Clow | |
Melgund | Angus | 1990s | Fawcett & Rutherford | |
Menzies | Perthshire | 1970s | Fawcett & Rutherford | |
Midhope | West Lothian | 1990s | Clow | |
Muckrach Castle | Highland | 1990s | Clow | |
Rossend Castle | Fife | 1970s | Fawcett & Rutherford | |
Rusco Tower | Dumfries and Galloway | 1970s | Clow | |
Tilquhilly | Kincardshire | 1980/90s | Clow | |
Towie Barclay | Aberdeenshire | 1970s | Fawcett & Rutherford |
Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, eleven kilometres south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold of the Maxwell family from the 13th century until the 17th century, when the castle was abandoned. It was besieged by the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence, and underwent several partial demolitions and reconstructions over the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th century, the Maxwells were created Earls of Nithsdale, and built a new lodging within the walls, described as among "the most ambitious early classical domestic architecture in Scotland". In 1640 the castle was besieged for the last time by the Protestant Covenanter army and was subsequently abandoned. Although demolished and rebuilt several times, the castle retains the distinctive triangular plan first laid out in the 13th century. Caerlaverock Castle was built to control trade in early times.
West Kilbride is a village and historic parish in North Ayrshire, Scotland, on the west coast by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the Firth of Clyde to Goat Fell and the Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoining districts of Seamill and Portencross are generally considered to be a small town, having a combined population of 4,393 at the 2001 census.
Dunstaffnage Castle is a partially ruined castle in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It lies 3 miles (5 km) NNE of Oban, situated on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea. The castle and the nearby chapel ruin have been a Historic Scotland property since 1958. Both are Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
Comlongon Castle is a tower house dating from the later 15th century or early 16th century. It is located 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) west of the village of Clarencefield, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of Dumfries, in south west Scotland. The original tower has been extended by the addition of a baronial style mansion, completed around 1900. Originally built by the Murrays of Cockpool, it remained in the Murray family until 1984. It was subsequently restored, having been vacant for some time, and the castle and mansion are now a hotel. As of 15 April 2019, the business side of Comlongon Castle has gone into Administration, consequently all weddings due and accommodation booked for after this date were cancelled, leaving the future of the castle uncertain.
Dean Castle is a 14th century castle located in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the stronghold for the Boyd Family, who were lords of Kilmarnock for over 400 years, and is situated in a 200 acre site situated within the Dean Castle Country Park.
Balgonie Castle is located on the south bank of the River Leven near Milton of Balgonie, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) east of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. The castle keep dates from the 14th century, and the remaining structures were added piecemeal until the 18th century. The keep has been recently restored, although other parts of the castle are roofless ruins. Balgonie, excepting the tower which is used for residential purposes, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This castle is the subject for several ghostlore stories, including a green lady story.
Leslie Castle is a castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the historical seat of Clan Leslie, located just to the west of Auchleven, or about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of Aberdeen.
Fa'side Castle (Faside Estate) has previously been known as Fawside, Falside, Ffauside, Fauxside, or Fawsyde and is a 15th-century keep located in East Lothian in Scotland. The castle is approximately 2 miles (3 kilometres) southwest of Tranent, and 2 mi (3 km) southeast of Musselburgh. The building was restored in the 1980s and is now protected as a category B listed building.
Law Castle is situated on the lower slopes of Law Hill on the edge of West Kilbride, in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is around 200 metres (660 ft) from the railway station.
Barholm Castle is a tower house located 5 miles (8.0 km) south-west of Gatehouse of Fleet, in Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway, Scotland. The tower dates back to the late 15th century, and it was a stronghold of a branch of the MacCulloch family. The present form of the castle dates from rebuilding in the 16th or 17th century, and in the early 2000s it was restored from a roofless state to residential use. The tower is sometimes identified with the fictional Ellangowan, in Sir Walter Scott's Guy Mannering.
Kilmaurs Place, The Place or Kilmaurs House, is an old mansion house and the ruins of Kilmaurs Tower grid reference NS41234112 are partly incorporated, Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The house stands on a prominence above the Carmel Water and has a commanding view of the surrounding area. Once the seat of the Cunningham Earls of Glencairn it ceased to be the main residence after 1484 when Finlaystone became the family seat. Not to be confused with Kilmaurs Castle that stood on the lands of Jocksthorn Farm.
Ballencrieff Castle, also known as Ballencrieff House, is a large tower house at Ballencrieff, East Lothian, Scotland. It is located three miles north west of Haddington, and one mile south of Aberlady.
The Barony of Aiket with its castle, lay within the old feudal bailiary of Cunninghame. The barony lands equate to the extant Parish of Dunlop, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
Cramond Tower is a fifteenth-century tower house in the village of Cramond to the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Seagate Castle is a castle and fortified town house in North Ayrshire, in the town of Irvine, close to the River Irvine, Scotland. The castle was formerly a stronghold, a town house, and later a dower house of the Montgomery Clan. The castle overlooks the oldest street in Irvine, which was once the main route between the town and the old harbour at Seagatefoot, which by 1606, was useless and abandoned due to silting. The remains of the castle are protected as a scheduled ancient monument.
Sundrum Castle is a Scottish medieval castle located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) north of Coylton, South Ayrshire, by the Water of Coyle river. It was built in the 14th century for Sir Duncan Wallace, Sheriff of Ayr. The castle was inherited by Sir Alan de Cathcart, who was the son of Duncan's sister. The Cathcarts sold Sundrum in the 18th century, where it eventually fell into the possession of the Hamilton family. The Hamiltons expanded the castle in the 1790s, incorporating the original keep into a mansion.
Buittle Castle, also known historically as Botle or Botel Castle, is a Motte and Bailey site in Galloway, south-west Scotland with significant early and medieval history comprising a significant ruined Norman style Motte, and several extant buildings and gardens, including the later residential building in the form of the Tower House, on the historic Bailey. It is located in the valley of the River Urr, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) west of Dalbeattie. The castle is within the parish of Buittle, in the traditional county of Kirkcudbrightshire and is a scheduled ancient monument.
Coxton Tower is a late sixteenth-century tower house in Moray, Scotland. Heavily fortified, it was built around 1590, with substantive repairs in 1635 and 1645, but its design is reminiscent of much older buildings. It has not been occupied since around 1867 except to house Canadian soldiers during the Second World War, but was renovated in 2001 to help protect the fabric of the structure, which is designated a Category A listed building.
Muckrach Castle, also known as Muchrach or Muckerach Castle, is a tower house near the Scottish town of Dulnain Bridge in the Highland council area. In 1971 the building was added to the Scottish monument lists in the highest monument category A, as it is the original seat of Grants of Rothiemurchus.
Ian Begg was a Scottish architect, known for his work with Scottish castles and their restoration.